Improvement in railroad-station indicators



PATENT FFIGE.

GRANVILLE Wg ALEXANDER, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.. lmPRoveivitNT |N RAl LRoAD-'sTATloN lNDlcAToRs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 112.670, dated March14, 1871.

I I, GRANVILLE W. ALEXANDER, of Chicago,

in the county of y Cook `and State of Illinois, have inventedcertainlmprovements in Street- Indicators for HorseGars, &c. 5 and I dohereby declare that the following is a specification thereof. -I Myinvention relates to a mechanical device to` be carried in a street-caroran y vehicle for the carriage of passengers, and which is operatedbythe driver of the vehicle to exhibit to the passengers the names ofthe several crossstreets `or stopping-places as they are passed, andexhibiting the same in such away that the driver is informed at the sametime. The

name of the street or stopping-place appears at twoseveral `points atthe same instant, and is visibleto the passengers at one point and`tot-he driver at another. The namesof the streets or stopping-placesare changed by the driver by a simple mechanism, which at the same timelnay be constructed to strike a bell to give warnin g to the passengersof the change; and my invention consists in certain combinations andarrangements of parts,more particularly hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents an end or frontelevation of my invention. I Fig. 2 represents a topor plan view ofsame. Fig. 3 exhibits a vertical section, from front to rear, alongtheline xof Fig. 2.' Fig. 4 is aside elevation of my invention. Figs. 5and 6are viewsof certain detached parts, as will be more fullyexplained.

General Description.

. I Ais a stout rectangular box, divided into two` compartments, anupper and alower one,

by a central horizontal partition, B, which extends entirely through thebox or case A. Both of these compartments are open at the ends.

C C' are narrow metallic plates, upon which are exhibited the names ofthe streets or stopping-places, as will be understoodupon reference toFig. 1. These `plates are bent at the ends into a double thickness, as`shownat c,

Fig. 5, which said figure isa top view of an end of one of said plates`G C.

It will be `observed that the upper' and lower edges-of the said plates,at the extreme ends thereof, are left square, while at a portion of saiddoubled part c these edges 'are rounded olf, as at d, Fig. 5. I I

D D are springs, which may be either flat or coiled springs. l prefer touse a coiled spring, I

and such is exhibited. These springs bear against sliding pieces E, infront of which are placed the plates C O. The tendency of these springsis to force the plates C C outward against the corner-pieces F. I

G kGr are levers, one at each side of the box or case A, pivoted to saidcase at g. These levers are connected by the bentpiece H, which isrigidly attached to said levers G Gr. From the center of said bent pieceextends upward an'arm,'h, by means of which the levers G G are operated.u. I I

The cornerpieces F are slotted vertically to admit an arm, i, whichpasses through each of the said slots, and connects by a friction-roller.with the ends of the levers G, which are slotted for the reception ofthe same, as seen at f.

The arm t' is made of .a form so that uitawill freely slide up and downthe slot in the cornerpiece F, which motion it is made to pursue at theoperation of the levers Gr.

I is a catch or clutch secured to the inner end of each of the four armst. is shown somewhat enlarged at Fig. 6. One side of this clutch is madewith a recess sufficiently large to admit one of the plates C C', sothat when the levers G bring the arms fi, bearin g the clutches I, intothe proper place, one of the plates. C G is forced out by the springs Dinto the recesses of said clutches,

I when the lfurther motion of the levers G will carry the plate up ordown, as the case may be. I

J is alever, pivoted to a standard, lo, at the center of the top of thecase or box A. Said lever carries a vertical frame, L, at each endthereof, which slides up and down in slotted ways M.

VThis frame carries rollers N, one pair at each end of the machine. Thesaid rollers N pass over the plates G C and press back the said plates,which is allowed by the yielding springs D D, so that the clutches Icannot engage said s Said clutch while the rollers at the opposite endare pressing back the upper set, the clutches Vbeingarranged just viceversa.

Now the operation of my machine will be as follows: The lever J isset,by means ofthe rod O, so that the rollers shall press back the plates Cat one end, while they press back the plates C at the other; and it willbe found that the clutches I en gage with the plates G at one end, C' atthe other. Now, when the levers G are moved by means of the arm h, theclutches I change position, moving up at one end and down at the other,and.carry the plates C C', so as to change the said plates. The plate,as it is brought up or down, as the case may be, passes under therollers, and is di sen gagd from the clutches. The levers G are thenbrought back to their former position and engage another pair of plates.The driver of the vehicle operates the levers G by means of a cordattached to the arm h, and passing to a position convenient to hisgrasp.

'Io obviate the necessity of moving the said levers G by hand in twodirections, I provide springs P, att-ached to the bent piece H and tothe case A, which said springs induce a return motion of the levers Gafter the drivers hand is released from the cord above referred to. Whenthe vehicle has arrived at the end of its route the position of thelever J, carrying the rollers, is reversed, and the plates are thenpresented bearingthe names ofthe streets in a reversed order. The partdis rounded 011 the plates C C', so that the rollers N may readily passover the said plates. Y

In constructing the double portion of the plate I contemplate making thesame thicker by the addition of an extra piece, to be soldered orfastened thereto.

The object of making the ends of the plates thicker than the middlethereof is for the purpose of obviating friction, and to protect thelettering of the names of the streets and stopparatus, whereas myindicator will contain a large number of streets-if necessary, over onehundred-without anymaterial increasein size. There are no endless bandsto be stretching or getting displaced in my machine, as there are inmost of the common indicators.

Then in use I iuelose my indicator in an outside box or covering.(Represented by the dotted lines in Fig. l.) It will be observed that anopening is shown, through which may be seen the lower plate at each end,so that the passenger is not confused by the appearance of more than oneplate to his view at one and the same time.

R is a bell attached to the top of case A. r is its hammer, which isoperated by an arm, s, extending down from bent piece H, so that said'bell is rung at each change of the plates.

Having thus fully described my invention,- what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the frame L, carrying rollers N, with the levers G G,carrying clutches I, and the plates G C, exhibiting the names ofcross-streets or stopping-places, substantially as specified and shown.

' G. W. ALEXANDER.

' Witnesses:

J. W. MUNDAY, L. L. CoBURN.

